Invalid bed



T. J. WATERS Sept. 26, 1967 INVALID BED 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 14, 1966 INVENTOR 7/10/1701 I We zem ATTORNEY Sept. 26, 1967 -T. J. WATERS INVALID BED 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 14, 1966 INVENTOR TfiamasJI Waters United States Patent 3,343,182 INVALID BED Thomas J. Waters, Bethesda, Md., assignor of one-half to Janet M. Holder, Arlington, Va. Filed Apr. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 542,658 4 Claims. (Cl. 592) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE m1 invalid bed having a chest-board stored therein for instant removal therefrom for insertion between the bed mattress and the back of a patient on said bed.

This invention relates to an invalid bed which is especially designed and adapted for use in intensive care wards, or rooms, of hospitals for bedding patients suffering from various cardiac or respiratory ailments.

Patients suffering from cardiac ailments must be constantly and carefully watched as such patients may have a sudden attack or change of condition which would require instant action or treatment, which generally requires the application of pressure to the chest of the patient. This is especially true in cases of cardiac arrest.

When applying pressure, such as external cardiac massage, to the chest of a patient it is essential that the chest of the patient be maintained perfectly stationary and not be pressed downwardly into the resilient mattress under the patient. A chest-board is therefore interposed between the mattress and the patients back before commencing treatment.

Chest-boards generally comprise a relatively thin, smooth surfaced, hard, rectangular board which will not bend or flex under pressure. The length of the board 1s such that it will extend from the waist to the neck of a patient, and the width thereof is only slightlyless than the width of the mattress of a standard conventional hospital bed. For purposes of sanitation the board is covered with a thin washable material such as formica or other plastic material.

In cases of cardiac arrest the entire treatment, including the positioning of the chest-board under the patient, must be accomplished within four minutes of the start of the attack as otherwise proper heart action and oxygenation cannot be revived. It will therefore be apparent that a chest-board must be instantly available when needed.

It is also essential that the entire head area of the bed be unobstructed in order to make the patients head completely available for the induction of airways, suction and stomach drainage tubes used to properly ventilate a patient in this situation, and to prevent aspiration of gastnc content.

The treatment in such cases frequently requires the simultaneous services of more than one physician, which would be impeded by any obstruction about the head of the bed.

In view of the foregoing requirements, it is the principal object of the invention to provide an invalid bed having a chest-board incorporated therein as the head-board thereof, thereby providing a ready storage space for a chest-board.

Another object of the invention is to provide an mvalid bed of the aforesaid character in which a chestboard is mounted therein in such a manner that it can be quickly and easily withdrawn from the bed and inserted under the back of a patient on the bed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an invalid bed of the aforesaid character in which the entire head area of the bed is rendered free of all obstructions upon the removal of the combination chest-board head- 3,343,182 Patented Sept. 26, 1967 board therefrom, thereby permitting ready access to the chest and head of a patient by one or more attendant physicians.

Having stated the principal objects of the invention other and more specific objects thereof will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the head end of an invalid bed having my invention incorporated therein;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the head end of an invalid bed as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the bed shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 looking from the right of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the bed as it appears after the combination chest-board head-board has been removed therefrom; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged transverse section through the combination chest-board head-board.

Referring now to the drawings by reference characters the numeral 1 indicates generally an invalid bed which comprises a bed frame 2 and a pair of transversely spaced similar head-posts 3 which are provided with casters 4 and are connected together adjacent the lower ends thereof by a transversely extending plate 5 which is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to and between the head-posts 3. An inverted channel shaped base member 6 which is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to and between the head-posts 3 extends rearwardly from the plate 5 for connection to a pair of foot posts, not shown, which are similar to the head-posts 3. A rectangular frame 7, which is disposed above the base member 6 in vertically spaced relation thereto, is mounted upon a suitable supporting means 8 which is carried by the base member 6 and extends upwardly therefrom. A mattress 9 is carried by the frame 7 upon a conventional bed spring, not shown, which is secured within the frame 7.

The upper end of the plate 5, which is secured to and between the head-posts 3, is provided with a forwardly extending horizontally disposed flange 10 which is integral therewith. A pair of transversely spaced similar bracket arms 11 extend upwardly from the forward edge of the flange 10 parallel to the head-posts 3. The bracket arms 11 are rigidly secured in fixed position to the flange 10 by having the rearwardly extending lower ends 12 thereof welded or bolted to the underside of the flange 10. The flange 10 in conjunction with the bracket arms 11 and head-posts 3 provides a storage space for a standard chest-board generally indicated by the numeral 13. The upper ends of head-posts 3 and the bracket arms 11 terminate intermediate the top and bottom surfaces of the mattress 9; and the flange 10 is so positioned with respect to the bed structure that the upper end of a chest-board seated upon the flange 10 will extend a substantial distance above the upper surface of the mattress 9. The thickness of the chest-board 13, and the longitudinal spacing of the bed posts 3 and the bracket arms 11, are such that when the chest-board is seated upon the flange 10 between the head-posts 3 and the bracket arms 11, it will be only lightly frictionally held in position so that when needed it can be quickly and easily withdrawn from position and inserted between mattress 9 and the back of a patient upon the mattress 9 as shown in dot-and-dash lines in FIGS. 1 and 2. When the chest-board 13 is not in use, and is stored on the flange 10 between the head-post 3 and bracket arms 11, it constitutes a head-board for the bed 1, and when it is withdrawn from storage for use the entire head area of the bed 1 is rendered free of all obstructions.

As shown herein the chest-board 13 comprises a rectangular sheet of hard, strong, non-flexible, smooth surfaced plywood 14, the width of which is substantially the same as the width of a standardrhospital bed, and the length of which is such that it will extend from the waist to the neck of a patient. However, any other relatively thin strong, hard, non-flexible structure may be used in place of the plywood sheet. The sheet 14 is covered with a thin layer of non-conductive plastic material 15, such as formica, which may be colored to simulate the headboard of a bed and to match the foot-board thereof, so that when mounted in a bed structure it will have the appearance of and constitute a head-board for the bed. If desired a thin padding 16 may be interposed between the plywood sheet 14 and the plastic covering 15.

From the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that I have provided a very simple and effective means for accomplishing the objects of the invention.

It is to be understood that I am not limited to the specific construction shown and described herein as various modifications may be made therein within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An invalid bed especially adapted for use in an intensive care ward, said bed comprising a frame, supporting means for said frame, a mattress disposed on said frame, a chest-board, a chest-board holder carried by said frame, said chest-board being mounted in said holder for instant removal therefrom for insertion between said mattress and the back of a patienton said bed.

2. An invalid bed as defined by claim 1 in which said chest-board holder is disposed on said, frame at the head 4 end of said bed, and in which said chest-board constitutes a head board for said bed when'not in use.

3. An invalid bed especially adapted for use in an intensive care ward, said bed comprising a frame, supporting means for said frame, a mattress disposed on said frame, a chest-board storage means carried by said frame, and a chest-board which is mounted in said storage means for instant removal therefrom for insertion between said mattress and the back of a patient on said bed.

4. An invalid bed as defined by claim 3 in which said storage means is secured to said frame at the head end of said bed and is adapted to have said chest-board stored therein in position to constitute a head board for said bed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 254,149 2/1882 Mott 553 X 828,007 8/1907 Williams 269-328 1,061,168 5/1913 Feely 553 X 2,724,127 11/1955 Trivas et a1. 553 3,171,139 3/1965 Ziegenfuss 553 3,191,922 6/1965 McMastors 297 -460 3,197,255 7/1965 Candill 5327 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN INVALID BED ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN AN INTENSIVE CARE WARD, SAID BED COMPRISING A FRAME, SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SAID FRAME, A MATTRESS DISPOSED ON SAID FRAME, A CHEST-BOARD, A CHEST-BOARD HOLDER CARRIED BY SAID FRAME, SAID CHEST-BOARD BEING MOUNTED IN SAID HOLDER FOR INSTANT REMOVAL THEREFROM FOR INSERTION BETWEEN SAID MATTRESS AND THE BACK OF A PATIENT ON SAID BED. 